"At the Funeral Hall, This Happened"... What Occurred When Ordering the Deceased's Favorite Food

Photo by Online Community 'BobaeDream' Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] A story has been shared about a restaurant that, after receiving an order to deliver food that a deceased mother liked during her lifetime, expressed condolences and did not charge for the food.

On the 7th, an online community 'Bobae Dream' posted an article titled "Wow, something like this happened at a funeral." The author of the post, Mr. A, began by saying, "Late at night, I heard the news of a colleague's mother's passing and went to pay my respects."

He continued, "The bereaved family ordered doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) and dakdoritang (spicy chicken stew), which the deceased liked, to offer to her and share with the mourners," adding, "When my former colleague and his sibling were organizing the delivered food, they were very surprised."

The receipt shown by the bereaved family included a note from the delivery company that read, "Though we cannot fathom the sadness of this sudden bereavement, we sincerely express our condolences and pray that the deceased rests in a better place," along with an envelope containing a condolence gift.

Mr. A said, "They even ordered from two different places, and both expressed their condolences."

Another delivery company wrote on their receipt, "I also went through a difficult time when my father passed away. I believe your mother would understand this expression of condolences, thinking that being well cared for by those around you is important," and added, "In memory of my father, I will not charge for this order. Please enjoy your meal."

Netizens who saw this responded with comments such as "These restaurants deserve to be supported," "It feels very humane," "The world is still a good place," and "This almost brought me to tears."

On the other hand, some netizens argued that it is not common for bereaved families to leave messages like "Ordering food that my mother liked during her lifetime" or "Please contact me if you come to the funeral home," suggesting that the situation might have been fabricated.

However, the owner of the restaurant that delivered the doenjang jjigae said in a phone interview with Chosun.com on the 8th, "This was the first time I received an order to deliver to a funeral home. After seeing the request, I canceled the order and wanted not to charge the payment, but I was worried that the customer might be notified and call, so I sent the money I had in my wallet at the time as a condolence gift," adding, "Please do not disclose the restaurant's name in the article," attempting to quell the controversy.